Healing Demons
by lovelyshadow7
Summary: Sakura was a diligent medical student with dreams and aspirations of greatness. Sasuke's dreams had been crushed by a dark past, leaving him broke and depressed. What happened when these two crossed paths and their lives got interwoven together? Modern world AU. Rated T with M potential.


Hey guys! So, I decided to write a new story since I've been feeling pretty inspired lately. I've never really been one for alternate universes, but I really wanted to take a shot and see how it turns out :) I think it's turning out alright for now, so I'm going to try to update once a week for you guys. Here's the first chapter, so I hope you enjoy it

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto only.**

 _SUMMARY: Sakura was a diligent medical student with dreams and aspirations of greatness. Sasuke's dreams had been crushed by a dark past, leaving him broke and depressed. What happened when these two crossed paths and their lives got interwoven together? Modern world AU_

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

All that could be heard in that very moment was scratching and ticking. There were also a few coughs here and there, but besides a few uncontrollable bodily functions, the square room was completely silent. The scratching of pencils, the ticking of the clock, the coughing of the students who should really have been resting in bed; they were all Sakura Haruno could focus on at the moment. She had over-prepared herself for this exam. It was a make or break test, one she could not afford to fail. Studying for months on end, Sakura reached every crevice of every textbook to ensure top marks on this final. Should she pass in the top five, Sakura would be able to work at the hospital of her dreams, Yondaime Memorial Hospital. Should she get the absolute top score, she would have the option to study under the head medic of the entire Konohagakure medical system, Tsunade Senju. Just the thought of that alone made her inside churn with both excitement and anxiety. Looking around the room, she remotely sighed. Over-preparedness was one thing because that ensured her success. Boredom, however, was another thing entirely.

The walls, she observed as she rested her chin on her right hand, were littered with diagrams of the body. Whether it was the skeletal system or the organs that resided inside the body, each poster had some sort of educational information about human anatomy splayed across it. Which was strange, she also thought, since all of those should be covered in case someone decided they needed to cheat. They should have profusely studied like her if they were as serious as she was about getting into the best hospital in Konoha. Smiling to herself confidently, she looked around the room some more. Her professor had dark brown hair that was clipped back into a tiny messy bun in the center of her head. She was scribbling in her notepad, not paying all that much mind to the students currently determining their fate by test score. Shizune had always been a bit distracted as a teacher by things Sakura had no clue about. The licensed doctor was truly brilliant, and Sakura strove to follow her footsteps and then forge her own path. Her professor had studied under Tsunade Senju, after all.

Sakura had always been a brilliant girl. She always got the best grades in school out of everyone her age, and puzzles had never been a problem for her. Any problem or challenge thrown her direction, and it was done for. That's why she excelled in medical school. Sakura had always been such a loving and caring person, so becoming a doctor was a no-brainer. Helping patients heal the wounds, internally and externally, was something a superhero could do, and without any special powers of any sort, that was closest she was ever going to get. The mere thought of that sent her competitive nature into a frenzy.

Drumming her fingers lightly, one at a time, Sakura tried her best to pass the time. She had already double and triple-checked her work, and she knew she at least made it to the top five. There were only fifteen minutes left of the exam, but only two other people were done, and by the looks of their defeated faces, they may had given up at that point. But, Sakura was no quitter, and she wanted to pass this test way too badly to come in unprepared. She was all-in, in it to win it from the very beginning. That was how she had been and always will be. Anxiously looking at the clock to see how much time had passed, Sakura noted that there was only five minutes left. Scanning through her test one last time, she started biting at her nails. She knew every answer was correct, but the anticipation and anxiety had her second guessing herself and every answer she had given. She knew all of the answers to all of the questions, but the stress can make anything fly right out the window.

Sakura's bright green eyes shifted over to the analog clock hanging on the wall once she finishing looking over her answers for the fourth and final time. One minute was left. Trying her best to keep her composure as her heart was beating a million miles an hour and sweat was forming in beads at her large forehead, she took a deep breath and counted down the seconds until she turned in her final and waited for fate to make its move.

After what seemed like an eternity, the timer rang and reverberated around the room. Time was up and Sakura was done sitting around doing nothing but worry. A few groans resonated followed by the scraping of chairs across the ceramic tile floor. She stood up as everyone else did, but was first in line to turn in her answers. _This was it,_ she thought, _Now I wait and see if all my hard work has paid off._

Sakura laid her test face down on the black surface of her professor's desk and turned to head towards the exit. Anymore time spent grueling over something that couldn't be changed at that point was a waste of both her valuable time and energy. It was now time to shift her focus onto nice, distracting things like what she was going to do for the rest of the day. Speaking of, she had just remembered that she had her weekly coffee date that day with her best friend, Ino Yamanaka.

"Sakura! How'd your test go?!" a fairly boisterous voice called as Sakura exited the classroom that sealed her fate. The voice came from the beautiful blonde waiting just outside of the classroom, lounging against the wall to Sakura's right side with her lavender purple backpack slung over her left fairly muscular shoulder and cell phone in her right hand. She was typing away with one hand with perfectly manicured, sky blue nails, but as soon as she spotted Sakura's light pink hair, all of Ino Yamanaka's attention shifted to her friend.

After years of off and on again friendship, their bond was virtually unbreakable and they genuinely cared for one another, no matter how many times they spent bickering over the small, petty things. Ino's eager blue eyes waited in anticipation and looked straight into Sakura's bright green ones.

"Hopefully it didn't beat you up too much, brainy. I need someone to go out with tonight." Ino teased with a slight smirk spread across her clear face. She was truly beautiful, with perfectly straight, waist-long blonde hair and a natural glow that made it seem as if she were a model. Her eyelashes, long and curling, wore a light coat of the latest mascara that had been released by the top name brand and her lips were coated with a light coral lip stain. Nothing more, and nothing less, but it was everything she needed to look otherworldly to Sakura and men everywhere. It made Sakura, one who rarely ever wears makeup and struggles with maintaining a clear face, jealous from time to time.

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle," Sakura stated with a breathy sigh and a slight victorious smile, "I've dealt with much worse with less notice than this. And I still probably aced it." The pinkette had always been a wiz in everything that she could find in a textbook. She was very book smart; she wove in and out of the pages of every book she could get her hands on. That being said, she hadn't always had the social grace her blonde best friend was blessed with. An equivalent exchange: never-ending knowledge of the human body for any sort of normally functioning relationship in her life. Maybe that was why she had never dated anyone, or maybe it was due to her lack of interest in dating, only wanting to waste time on The One. And she had never found any signs that anyone would be worth the trouble. There have been no butterflies, rapid heartbeats, or shortness of breath. She rarely blushed around anyone, save for if she did or said something excruciatingly embarrassing around anyone. There was one time she had spilled just a little too much chemical into a test tube and everything went _kaboom,_ including her pride and dignity. The only reason no one saw how red her face had gotten was because there was way too much ash and residue spread across her face. It took weeks to get the smell off of her and muster up the courage to get over that incident.

It wasn't as if she wasn't appealing to the opposite sex, though. Sakura had a few guys fall at her feet and she had broken a few hearts along the way. But, as said before, her standards were high and her head remained low to remain inconspicuous for the most part. However, Sakura wasn't closed off to the idea of finding someone to love. She just hadn't found the one worth fighting for.

"Sakura, you're always studying for these tests and not spending enough time with me," Ino huffed in response to the medical student, "Just promise now that you're done, you'll come to TonTon Coffee Shop with me more than once a week, okay? Naruto misses you!" The playful irritation in Ino's voice made Sakura's eyes soften a bit, but she kept along with the banter.

"Well, I would, but you're getting ready for your final, too, right? You really should focus more on that, dummy. That would take up most of your time, anyway." Sakura said with a light shove with her right shoulder to Ino's left one. "You've been into fashion since forever, Ino, so don't take this fashion show lightly and get lazy." As she slightly chided Ino, Sakura took a moment to think back. When they met, Sakura had been crying on a park swing on a cold February afternoon because some bullies had teased her about the fact she would rather read a book than hang out with the other kids at school. On top of that, she had abnormally colored hair, poor style and superior strength; she could kick a ball further than any other boy and outrun a high-schooler. It made no sense to the other, more "normal" children, and since they could not begin to understand Sakura, they alienated her. The only person willing to give the strange girl a shot was Ino, who approached the small girl one afternoon and offered a token of her friendship: a red ribbon.

 _Here, have this, Sakura. This symbolizes us, because now we're friends. If anyone teases you, stand up for yourself. Be more confident. Dress to impress, not hide yourself. You're not hiding anything but that pretty face and those green eyes. I will be here, I promise._

Their friendship was full of jokes and slaps of reality, but that's what made it real to them throughout the years. Through thick and thin, harsh weather, and brutal schedules, they always found their way back as best friends. Sakura and Ino always had each other, even though a guy may have gotten in the way a few times when they dated the blonde. The girls were polar opposites in many ways, but that's what made them so unique.

With another light shoulder shove and stuck-out tongue later, they both headed back down the hall towards the exit for the final time. The building had been set up like a hospital, with white walls, winding hallways, and doors that required badges to access, but functioned as a university for aspiring doctors, such as Sakura. She had spent her last four years as a medical student at Konohagakure Medical University, ensuring that all blood, sweat, and tears that she shed went towards being the best student she could be. Constant studying meant good grades and those scores meant she could graduate at the top of her class. And graduating at the very top guaranteed that Sakura could work at the hospital of her dreams. With a smile, Sakura stepped in sync with Ino out of the double doors at the end of the hall. The sun hit directly in her emerald eyes as she reached stepped through the doorway onto the concrete. It blinded her for a moment, causing her to squint and lose her train of thought. She looked up and finally focused on the sky for the first time in what seemed like forever.

It was a beautiful, bright shade of blue, littered with fluffy white clouds here and there. Springtime finally arrived, so the dreariness of winter had subsided and brought about life around her. With excitement, Sakura looked around to admire the purple azaleas that lined the walkway, blooming with exuberance and newfound life. The winter was long and harsh for both the weather and Sakura, but things were finally looking up.

"...and Hinata is meeting us at the coffee shop and I'm just so excited to finally see her!" Ino's voice broke Sakura out of her trance and the blonde looked expectantly over to her distracted companion. "Earth to Sakura! Helloooo…..!" She waved her manicured fingers covered in fashionable statement rings in front of Sakura's face in an attempt to grasp her attention. It took Sakura a moment to register this and turn her head over to her right in confusion.

"Hinata? Isn't she in university across the country?" Sakura inquired with a slightly raised pitch in her voice, "Her father was pretty adamant about her remaining there until she was completely done." It was true. As the heir to a very wealthy and prestigious family, Hinata Hyuga never really had much say in her future. She was always out at company events to meet her father's company and potential suitors and clients to further their status even more. She unfortunately spend most of her school life going to a private school. It wasn't until she had reached age sixteen that she was finally allowed the public school experience, where she met her friends Sakura and Ino. Hinata was a very reserved girl; she had to be in order to live up to her family's traditional standards. Slowly, but surely, the shy dark haired girl broke out of her shell and forged a strong bond with the two best friends in high school. However, her father didn't necessarily enjoy his daughter's blossoming free spirit, and when he found out she had been seeing a troublemaking boy from a family he did not associate his business with, he put his heavy foot down and sent her to a university across the country to study at law school. For a family of businessmen and politicians, there was nowhere better for the heiress to go to focus on her studies and work towards the future already envisioned for her. And since she hadn't been able to come home to see her friends due to circumstances out of her control, Sakura hadn't seen her good friend in person for just about four years.

"Yeah, but she passed her finals with flying colors, so her dad _finally_ let her come home for the summer!" Ino replied, excited to be reunited with Hinata. She continued typing away distractedly on her smartphone as they continued walking along the sidewalk to the parking lot. "Took the guy long enough, though. Yeesh." A ding came from her phone three times simultaneously and they were met with a groan from the blonde eyed beauty.

"Wow, Ino, you sure are popular." Sakura joked sarcastically. She really wasn't surprised since Ino had always had the ability to wrap almost any guy she wanted around her slender finger and have them do pretty much anything she desired. She had three boyfriends in the past, each more pathetic than the last, in Sakura's opinion. Sakura desired someone with a backbone, more dignity. Although she would love someone to run errands and buy flowers for her, she would also desire a man who knew when to say no. And she supposed Ino did as well, since she dumped them after a few months. They always did have similar tastes in men. In response to Sakura's jab, Ino merely kept typing away at her phone and remained aloof about it all.

"Huh?" she replied, "Oh, yeah. There are these guys who want to model my clothes for the fashion show coming up. They're pretty average, but I guess I can give them a chance to not screw it up."

"You give too many people chances. You're so lenient, Ino. Learn to say no every once in a while," Sakura scolded, "But, do what you want, I guess. You do need to get a move on with this show."

"Make up your mind. Geez." Ino replied, annoyed, stepping off the curb of the sidewalk onto the pavement. Sakura never really gave anyone chances and was closed off because of her bullied past. As much as she vehemently denied it, Sakura was someone who didn't open up very easily to others. Ino tried many times in the past to set her best friend up with different people, but failed each and every time.

It wasn't that Sakura wasn't interested in the opposite sex. She was just a hopeless romantic who had a specific picture in mind and no one to fit the bill. If that was what caused her to remain lonely for the remainder of her life, then so be it. Sakura was independent and strong. She needed someone else to have that stability. The guy to capture her heart would have a good head on his shoulders, light brown hair, and smoldering green eyes like her own. He also needed a good sense of where his future was headed and have enough willpower to make that a reality. If someone had none of these qualities, Sakura would most likely pay no mind to them romantically. Maybe as an acquaintance, due to her kind nature, but nothing more. There was no use wasting what little time she had on a game that led nowhere.

The two women reached the black convertible parked at the front of the parking lot and Ino switched her purple phone with her jingly keys, scattered with feathers and photos from prom night. With a click of her keys and two beeps resonating from the vehicle, they were able to climb inside, pull on their seat belts across their chests, and pull back the roof so they could savor the sweet spring air. Ino put on her designer sunglasses as Sakura pulled back her shoulder-length hair into a messy bun so it wouldn't get in her way, though many strands remained in place. The push-to-start ignition was pressed with one finger, and the women went on their way out of the winding school parking lot for the final time.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

Within the silence, nothing else could be heard except for the incessant dripping of a leaking faucet coming from the dark, cold kitchen. The persistent noise of water hitting metal held the potential of irritation, but it served as a stabilizing force for the storm that was Sasuke Uchiha's swirling mind. It was the only sound to be heard, save for the traffic vaguely whizzing by, clearly too far away from the tiny apartment to reach by foot in any short amount of time.

All of the lights were off. The switch to the heat had been completely ignored all winter and the air conditioning had no sign of being paid any mind to anytime soon. The less amount of money spend on the dingy little studio apartment, the better. It wasn't like Sasuke had a stable income, anyway. The only way has was able to pay rent and utilities these days was when he got paid for little mundane jobs here and there and sometimes, when he caught his brother Itachi on a good day, he could ask for a bit of help scraping together the rest of the money he needed to sustain himself for the next month. His parents never helped out, however. Not since the incident that occurred the previous year. It was the event that caused him to move out from his family's large, warm home and live all on his own with no support. It made Sasuke angry, as if they never really loved him at all. Who would do that to their own son?! It made no sense. But it was what it was, and what was done, was done.

Sasuke's groggy onyx eyes flickered open and closed, indecisive whether to succumb once again to slumber's warm embrace or to fight against his will and get up to face the day. Against his better judgment, he decided to remain awake, seeing as it was around noontime already, judging by the slivers of sunlight pouring through the cheap blinds he purchased a long, long time ago. Swinging his long, bare legs out from under the thin blanket and around to the edge of his twin sized bed, he sat in the silent darkness for a few minutes, Sasuke did absolutely nothing but listen to the drip, drip, dripping of the leaking water on the other side of the room. He sported a mussed up bedhead and had slept in his navy blue boxers and white t-shirt. Time passed by the boy, but he paid it absolutely no mind because it really didn't matter to him whatsoever.

After who-knows-how-long, a silent buzzing tore the black-haired male from his tired reverie. He let it continue for a while until it finally ceased. Uncaring and indifferent, Sasuke continued to sit in the darkness, willing it to consume him. He didn't even attempt to muster up the energy to get up and go about his daily routine until the buzzing started back up again. This cycle went on about three more times until Sasuke finally got up hastily from the mattress in irritation and walked briskly over to his dresser to his left where his phone was lying. He looked at the caller ID and sucked his teeth.

It was Naruto, of course. Who else would be so annoyingly persistent in reaching him?

Naruto was his best friend, albeit reluctantly on Sasuke's part. He had been around him since childhood, picking fights on the playground and being Sasuke's voice of reason when he made dumb decisions. They were polar opposites in almost every way, but that's why they worked as friends. Naruto was very outgoing and tried to be friends with everyone he met within reach, and Sasuke was introverted with no interest in opening up or making friends at all. Naruto was the angel on Sasuke's left shoulder while Sasuke gave Naruto purpose, for lack of a better word. Naruto felt a compulsive need to maintain the bond they made and watch over the dark haired male, to Sasuke's chagrin. But, even though he didn't always value the friendship laid in front of him, Sasuke never really let go of it either. He never really knew or understood why, but he would never admit that he secretly treasured that bond.

When they were in grade school, Sasuke shut everyone out and Naruto noticed a lonely boy leaning against the fence, overlooking the playground, ignoring all of the children out there. Curious as to why he wasn't playing with the other boys kicking around the ball or climbing the jungle gym, the blond boy ran over to the young Sasuke Uchiha with excitement in his cerulean eyes. He tried his hardest to convince the stubborn boy to play with him, but Naruto was always met with rejection. Not one to give up, he stopped by every day to ask if Sasuke wanted to be included, and each time, Sasuke declined his invitation.

 _Okay, if you say so! But just know I'm going to keep asking you every single day just so you can have fun like everyone else! Believe me! I can't wait until you finally say yes, Sasuke!_

To an outsider, their friendship could be seen as Naruto chasing after Sasuke, begging him to hang out and stay by his side while Sasuke never wants to spend time with his friend. But, to them, it was their bond. Naruto reached out to let the Uchiha know that someone was there by his side through it all, and the reciprocation on Sasuke's part was the reassurance that Naruto was the only person he would allow, outside of his family, into his small circle. And that was enough for Naruto Uzumaki.

As the phone continued buzzing, Sasuke finally flipped it open to receive the persistent call. He brushed his long-growing bangs out of his eyes and behind his left ear to hear the call much better. Not too long after, however, he definitely regretted it.

"Sasuke! He lives!" an exuberant voice on the other line exclaimed, "Now that you're finally awake, I have some great news for you." The second half of the phone call so far was more toned down, so Sasuke knew Naruto was serious about something. Finally paying more attention and turning his mind fully on for the first time since he opened his eyes this afternoon, Sasuke cleared his throat and spoke.

"What is it?" he questioned, clearly concealing his slight excitement with a blanket of cold indifference.

"I told ya I was gonna help you find a job, didn't I?" he began, causing Sasuke to freeze up and clench his phone just a smidge tighter in his pale hand. "Well, I did! You start today actually. In about an hour. You'll work with me at TonTon! Isn't that great? See ya soon, coworker!" As soon as the call started, it ended with a dead line on Naruto's side and Sasuke standing speechless listening to absolutely nothing as he tried to comprehend what had just transpired. So, first, he woke up like any other day: tired, broke, and depressed. And now, he has to go to work on such short notice?! What the hell was that idiot even thinking? He probably wasn't, Sasuke concluded.

With a large sigh and large hand running through his dark locks, Sasuke decided that, in all reality, it couldn't hurt to earn a bit more income than just cutting grass and fixing up cars. That was all he had been subjected to lately. Not because he wanted to, but because of his past; that's the issue with living in a town where most business owners know your family and by association, know terrible choices you have made in the past. It also didn't help that his family basically disowned Sasuke in his eyes and denied association with him just to save face. It was finally time for Sasuke to finally start making more money and living the life he felt was denied to him by his family. He loved his family very much, but felt deprived of the very love he craved the most.

Heading over to the closet right beside his bed to the left, he looked through what little amount of clothes he owned. A few t-shirts hung on the rack with two pairs of jeans and a pair of khakis. One dress shirt remained untouched in the far left corner, and the far right held a sweatshirt with his old university logo printed proudly on the front. The sight of it made him cringe, so he usually stuck with his faux leather jacket instead. Heaving another sigh, Sasuke grabbed a plain blue t-shirt and the only pair of khakis he owned and threw them on in a rush. After that, he headed to the bathroom, hurriedly brushed his teeth, and ran a brush through his dark hair a few times to look presentable.

Ignoring the prevalent bags under his eyes, he splashed cold water across his face and stared at himself in the dirty mirror, trying to convince himself it was worth it to take up this job, that he could really pull this off. Also ignoring the voices yelling at him to get back in bed and ignore the fact that Naruto got him a job at a local coffee shop, he pried himself away from the sink and forced himself to throw on his leather jacket and black boots sitting by the entrance of the apartment and step out the door. As he stepped through the doorway, he flinched at the sudden onslaught of sunlight burning his eyes and pale skin. With a moment's hesitation and brief deliberation of turning back to go inside, he reluctantly turned around and headed to the bus station to start his first day of work at TonTon Coffee Shop.

 **oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

 _Alright guys, that was chapter one! This is my first attempt at an AU modern day fanfic, so I really hope you enjoy it! I'm going to try my best and update once a week. I already have a few chapters written, so I should be pretty timely with my updates :) Please, please, please review and subscribe if you really enjoy it! I'm having fun writing this so far, so feedback would be much appreciated and would make me more excited and motivated to keep on writing. Have a great week! :)_


End file.
